Erdogan okays Sweden NATO membership bid

 

VILNIUS, Lithuania – President of Turkey, Tayyip Recep Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden in its bid for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO.

Erdogan had said he will not support Sweden unless Turkey’s membership of the European Union, EU which has been stalled for over 50 years, is guaranteed.

But following meeting talks between Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Council President Charles Michel ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Erdogan agreed to support Sweden.

“President Erdogan has agreed to submit the protocol on Sweden’s accession to NATO for ratification to Parliament as soon as possible and work with him to ratify this document as soon as possible,” Stoltenberg said.

He promised that NATO, in turn, would create a special mechanism and the post of a special representative to combat terrorism.

“We as Türkiye are tired of saying that it is a must to combat terrorist organizations and its extensions without making any distinction among them.”

Erdogan who alluded to the death of two Turkish soldiers, Hasan Taş and Furkan Günergök, who died in the Operation Claw-Lock zone said.

“No one should expect any compromise or understanding from us while our soldiers, police officers and civilians are martyred,” President Erdoğan stressed, adding that they want all the promises made to them to be delivered on.

He said Turkey will continue to fight against terror, DAESH in particular.